APA stands for the American Psychological Association and their referencing style is very common. I'll cover off UK and US referencing styles in future posts so don't think I'm singling APA out for special attention.

The APA system is broken into two main parts:

• In-text citations

• A reference list

In-Text Citations

In-text citations as the name suggests are included within the text; for direct quotations they state the name of the writer, the publication and page number with the date published of the source you are using. Where you paraphrase the source you only need the name of the writer and the date published but the wording must be your own.

An example is:

Understanding astronomical variances in stellar drift is difficult, as has been observed (ERH, 2008, The Moon is My Oyster) "Stellar drift has significant implications for worm hole transportation."

This would be the correct use of an APA style citation for the initial use of the source, but you only need to state the writer's name in subsequent citations IF within the same paragraph, so:

As has also been noted (ERH), "Stargate SG-1 has a great deal of good science to offer and not simply entertainment."

If you are quoting at length (more than 40 words) you should cite the quote WITHOUT quotation marks by inserting the quote in a separate paragraph that is indented between 5 and 7 spaces, preferably using single spacing and still add the name of the author, publication date and page number in brackets at the beginning or end of the text.

An example would be:

Blah blah blah blah blah:

Lots of Stargate blah,lots and lots of blah, Teal'c looks silly with hair on, O'Neill should grow up and Samantha Carter really ought to let her hair down far more often. In fact, Doctor Jackson is the only decent character and that is because he is Canadian. (ERH, 2008 p7)

...and more blah.

The Reference List

APA follows a referencing format that is determined by the publication media you are writing for; the split is between writing for a book (or producing a report) or for a journal.

The referencing list is placed at the bottom of the page within which you are citing the source.

For Books and Reports

Author, (date), Title, Place of Publication, Publisher

e.g. Smith K,(2008), Using APA Referencing in Practice, London UK, Supaproofread

For a Journal

Author, (Date), Title, Journal Name, Volume (Issue), Page

e.g. Smith K, 2008, Stargate Science, SG-1 Fan Magazine, 12(3), 22-33

There are other rules regarding citing multiple authors, using et al, citing an author who has in turn cited another and so on and you can gain a greater understanding of the referencing style by visiting this helpful site - ACU

Related posts:

1. MLA Versus APA Style
2. Copyright – A Must For Internet Safety
3. Getting Web Technical – RSS

Editing is much more than this as it combines proofreading together with revisions that should improve the flow and structure of your work to maximise the impact of the piece.

Some may disagree as Nabakov (he of Lolita fame) once said "By editor I suppose you mean proofreader." Indeed, editing is often referred to as the "butcher's trade".

Editing requires a thorough grasp of English whereas proofreading requires an ability to simply spell. It is also fair to say that editing requires the exercise of the little grey cells to a far greater extent as they will be actively considering the subject matter and how well the piece will communicate with the prospective reader. This contrasts with simple proofreading which is a more mechanical process.

For instance, I try not to proofread a piece immediately after I have completed it. I personally find that if some time elapses between completing the draft and going back to correct the grammar and spelling errors, then I am able to focus my attention on the words rather than the ideas and ensure greater accuracy. If I proof a document as soon as I have finished, I usually end up becoming immersed in the ideas and subject matter which leads to proofreading errors and ultimately, a few spelling mistakes sneaking into otherwise finished product.

Editing courses exist on the internet that will help you deal with the issues involved but for many, editing as a profession is in decline which is technically known as "not a good thing". Modern day editors simply do not have the time to edit, and the sharp suits have taken over with their eye on the cost and bottom line rather than the quality of the work. This doesn't simply affect literary pieces but commercial copy as well as editing is the ultimate peer review you can have.

I read a piece in the Guardian which dealt with the decline of editing and relayed a story concerning Tom Wolfe (not the Bonfire of the Vanities author but the other one) and it made me smile.

Our Tom Wolfe was a prolific generator of words - so exceedingly verbiose in fact that I was instantly reminded of the Michael Douglas character in the film, Wonder Boys when he plays an English professor with writers block and a penchant for smoking dope. His editor, Maxwell Perkins advised that he was going to take the book away from Tom and indeed he did so after receiving a manuscript some two feet high containing 450,000 words. Eventually this was whittled down and published; something that would not have happened without an editor though Ernest Hemingway (who also used Perkins as his editor) proclaimed, "It's 60% shit!"

For many, the editor is a bully boy, larger than life character and their use of the pruning shears on your work can leave it completely altered beyond any recognition. The reality is if you are lucky enough to have someone who will edit your work, build that relationship, devote some time to it and this will pay dividends with your work.

T S Eliot once was asked if editors were simply failed writers to which he replied:

"Perhaps - but so are most writers."

Related posts:

1. The Difference Between Editing and Proofreading
2. Proofraeding is essential!
3. The first draft: writing with precision and passion!

Articles that get in depth are what people want to read. Don’t simply answer the questions and move on to other questions. Get in depth information that goes deeper than anyone else writing on that topic. Otherwise, you are simply telling people what they already know.

Example:

Frederick Dominguez and his kids were lost for three days in the mountains of Northern California because they ventured out there to cut down a Christmas tree. They were found on Wednesday by a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew.

If you visit any news site or look in any newspaper where this story is told, you will find this information. Does it answer the six critical questions? Yes.

Who – Frederick Dominguez and his kids.

What – were lost and have been found.

When – Wednesday.

Where – mountains of Northern California.

Why – looking for a Christmas tree.

How – California Highway Patrol helicopter crew.

But if you can find this story anywhere, why would anyone read yours? It makes all the difference in the world that the mother of the children had no idea they were missing until she realized her youngest child didn’t go to school on Monday. It makes all the difference in the world that a new snow storm was about to come and the search was about to be aborted. It makes all the difference in the world that people like Cory Stahl who owns a pest control business shut his business down so that all the employees could help with the search.

There are plenty of answers to those six basic questions. Keep digging. Dig deeper. Make sure you have as much information as you can and discount nothing. Any bit of information can make your article more interesting than the others. That’s the essence of great article writing.

Related posts:

1. The Dynamics of Writing an Article: And How it Applies to Today
2. Article Templates
3. Stopping readers in their tracks! Advice for internet writing

The difference between MLA and APA is just one of those things. In fact, you just might at this moment be thinking what in the world they even are. Some of you might have a faint memory that they are documentation guidelines. But, you might not be able to remember much more than that.

If you have any kind of document to present in whatever venue you need, whether your boss needs a research journal or your professor needs an essay, you have guidelines to follow. They may have given you some guidelines on their own. But, you also have a style that your paper needs to conform to upon presentation. That style could either be MLA or APA.

MLA Style

The Modern Language Association (MLA) was formed in the late eighteen hundreds as a forum for the study of literature. Lasting throughout the years, it has become the authority on the format for documents written in scholarly pursuit. College students writing English papers or professional writers making their contribution to literature would use the MLA style.

The MLA publishes the MLA Style Manual, which answers every question for how to format your paper. If you want to know how to set the margins, it has the answer. It will tell you how to space your document and create a cover page. It will tell you how to paginate your pages and where to put the appendices. But, I think the most important role the MLA Style Manual serves is how to cite the works of others when you use them in your paper.

Plagiarism isn’t just a blatant disrespect for the work of others. It continues into cases where a work wasn’t cited properly. If you mention an author’s name in the paragraph where you are discussing that author’s work, you only need to add that work of literature to the “Works Cited” page at the end of your document. But, the guidelines are technical regulations so that there are no confusions. Plagiarism can definitely come into play when you quote or paraphrase another writer’s words, but the source of those words is unclear to the reader.

It might be considered a small infraction to you when you miss a period or a comma in your listing of a work you cited. And authors could really care less about a small period in your “Reference” list even though it’s a significant part of the MLA Style of citation. They will make a note that you don’t know how to pay attention and don’t know what you’re doing, which takes away from your overall credibility. But, they really don’t care when you make a small mistake like that. What they get upset about is when you blur the lines and you don’t make it clear that you used their work to support your own. Of course, there is more to it. But, when you are writing a paper in the pursuit of Academia, it is my personal opinion that this is the main concern in the field of scholars.

APA Style

The American Psychological Association (APA) is an equally authoritative organization based out of Washington, D.C. USA. Among the many things APA does, it publishes what is profoundly looked upon as The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. It offers guidance for writers too, but it governs an entirely different body of writers.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is an editorial style manual for writers in the fields of the social and behavioral sciences. Just as in MLA Style, APA Style will tell you how to punctuate your paper and how to add tables. It offers guidance for present statistics and select headings. But, its main thrust again is to help writers properly cite works they use to support their own papers.

A well-written paper is not one that stands alone. This is debatable, but I don’t think one novel thought exists anymore. If you have a thought that is insightful or groundbreaking, I’m sure others have thought along those lines before. It’s called cumulative thinking. But, that’s not a bad thing.

When you write a paper that contributes your thoughts to the scientific community, there has to be thousands of other works that support your groundbreaking work. In other words, you’ve reviewed their works and come to your own conclusions. That’s your contribution. So, learn how to give other writers credit and get it right.

There are other editorial styles for formatting your paper. They include Associated Press, Chicago and Oxford among others. It is in my distinguished experience that if you work in journalism, the Associated Press Stylebook is the one that governs you. If you belong to an organization or work in a field like anthropology that prefers The Chicago Manual of Style, then that’s your style guide. Likewise, the Oxford Style to Guide is the UK’s equivalent to US’s Chicago Manual.

But as far as the US is concerned, MLA or APA is the editorial style you’ll most likely use. You should know what is required of you. If you haven’t been told, then follow the guidelines I just gave you. MLA is in the field of Academia. APA governs social and behavioral sciences. I guess this blog entry implicitly welcomes a view from the UK, one I cannot provide since I am a US based writer.

Related posts:

1. Using APA Referencing in Practice
2. What are style guides?
3. Planning a Document

Later on in that same year, another paper I had asked him to write was completely copied from the Internet. I found half the paper on one website while the vice principal found the rest of it on another. I sat the student down and explained to him why his paper failed.

The next thing I knew, I was in a meeting with his mother, his father and my principal. Luckily, I had that earlier paper with the definition of plagiarism written on the back of it. While I was being questioned about my teaching methods, I simply pulled out the paper and slid it across the desk.

After my five minute explanation of plagiarism and how it is taught in every grade from early grade school through to the college level, I excused myself and my principal was more than happy to let me go. With a smile on his face, he said that he would see me tomorrow and he looked back across the table to see if the mother or the father had any further questions.

Rule number one, always have documentation in place that covers your backside. Rule number two, don’t plagiarize in the first place. Plagiarism is copying someone else’s work and claiming it as your own.

There are times when people can get away with it. For instance, if the work is not copyright protected it can be stolen by anyone who sees it and you can’t do anything about it. That’s why copyright is so important.

Register your work with the Library of Congress and establish a public record of your copyright if you wish to go that far. But, you can simply mail yourself a copy of your own work and never open the envelope. When it arrives in the mail, you know what it is. Keep it sealed, store it in a safe place and you’ve established copyright. That’s really all you need to do.

If the question of copyright ever comes down to your own work, simply take that envelope to court with you and let the judge open it. The date the envelope was sent serves as an earliest date of record. It’s stamped on the envelope when you sent it through the mail. The judge will review the work and hand you a judgment.

That’s when plagiarism gets ugly. There are writers on the internet who are constantly trying to take their ideas from somewhere else rather than just come up with their own. They copy work they think no one will ever find. If publishers aren’t diligent, they can face stiff law suits for publishing work that is not original. That’s why so many of them these days are using such sites as iplagiarismcheck.com or copyscape.com. It’s a good thing such sites are in place. But, I can’t urge you enough that plagiarism should simply not be a practice you would want to try.

A person puts his or her hard work into a writing just to have it stolen by someone else who lacks the skill or the imagination. Think about how terrible that would be if it happened to you. If you invented something and someone else claimed it, now they’re making millions off of your idea. That’s the same thing with books, screenplays, poems, articles, essays and anything else you can imagine writing.

So when you are writing, make sure that you are writing your own original work. If someone said something better than you think you can say it, go ahead and put it in your writing but give them credit for it. Either mention their name and the publication in the paragraph or make a list of cited works on the last page so that people can know where those thoughts came from in the first place. If you don't know how, there are plenty of resources where you can learn Harvard, MLA (Modern Language Association) or any of the other styles for citing works.

Actually it makes you look much better when you give someone else credit. It makes you look like you are well-read and you know things your readers may not know. It makes you look as if you can read a work of literature and appraise it for its value. You get much further in life being honest, in the long haul.

Related posts:

1. Copyright and Freelance Writing
2. I or Me?

The foundations of any document are the planning of its "rhetorical strategy". To get one's point across to an array of audiences, as wide as possible, is the main focus of most document writers. One needs to be clear in purpose of the message to be conveyed through the project. When the purpose of the writing becomes clear, this becomes easily possible. Some of the major points involved in creating a successful document presentation include the following:

PURPOSE

AUDIENCE/READER/VIEWER

SPEAKING/WRITING TECHNIQUES

The PURPOSE here involves in asking yourself the aim of your report and the final effect that you want to convey .The essence of the writing depends on the way it is an effective deliverance of its content. A good writer sticks to the point without unnecessary dalliance though minute digressions, and is effective in supplying related anecdotes and examples to draw parallels.

While writing, keep in your thoughts who you are writing for. This is where the importance of READERS arise. Research and surveys on the needs and tastes of your readers can become a direction to taka, as well as making notes of your overview. You must not focus on a wider range, but target a particular group. You might even have to change your style and adjust your vocabulary in trying to cater towards your target readership. However, the basic aim and structure of your report fails if you make too many core compromises.

In the case of WRITING TECHNIQUES, you must adapt a strategic approach, categorize the different parts of your report taking time to think, and answer questions pertinent to each category. After you have done this initial stage of preparation, you will be confident and focused to go on with your writing. Organize your planning stages thinking about questions that are about to rise, resolving them and provide further clarification. Set the style, design, format and lay-out to attract the inquisitive mind.

Now, let us illustrate the above mentioned approach to writing, through the example of composing a job letter. Considering the purpose of the writing it is to be kept in mind that a resume highlights your strengths without indulgence into false-praise of yourself, which could lead to much embarrassment and ultimate rejection. However, you’ll also want to set up some positives that will help you stand out from a flurry of other applicants. Do your homework well, so that you’re not grounded in qualifications, abilities and mental strength required for the job. A half-hearted application will yield no responses.
In case of a job resume, your reader is probably a panel of very well-qualified and well-experience professionals in their field, so be wary of this.

Related posts:

1. Asserting your rights over your document – copyrights at work
2. PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGIES IN TECHNICAL WRITING
3. Top 10 Beginner writing Tips

An educational system that speaks for itself

UK education is respected throughout the world for its quality and consistently high standards. UK Universities and colleges provide a research-active environment, with the opportunity to learn from their academic mentors. It allows you to think for yourself and become independent (that’s important). It encourages skills which are in demand, and this is what attracts organizations from all over the globe (that’s important too). The unique quality assurance system that education in the UK gives you ensures accountability in all areas.

A home away from home

The added attraction of the UK is that outside the lecture hall it offers a very varied cultural and social life. It is also a safe and welcoming place for international visitors. Studying here allows you to meet students from all over the world and each student makes a unique contribution to the life of the institution, both academically and culturally.

Value for money

International education is a long-term investment. Considering the quality and international recognition of British qualifications, studying in the UK is excellent value for money. Tuition fees and living expenses are the two important factors to consider when selecting a college/University. These vary from one part of the UK to another. Students are attracted to the south, especially London, although the costs of living in the north are much lower than in the South of England. There are scholarships available for students as well, and it is also worth mentioning that there are many benefits available to international students that can make life in the UK more affordable:

* NUS Discounts

The NUS or National Union of Students allows discounts on behalf of their members which can add upto almost 50% off anything such as books, clothes, stationery, food, travel and entertainment.

* Free Healthcare

All international students staying in the UK for a period of six months or more qualify for free health-care through the National Health Service. Yes, and that means FREE HEALTH SEVICES.

Diversity of choice

A wide range of subjects are on offer in UK. Art and design, business, engineering and law to name a few; other interesting courses like Art history, Pop culture and other literary theory courses are also available. Current environmental issue related courses have also given students more choice to work with.

Earn while you learn

Students are permitted to work part-time during academic terms to support their stay in the UK. Finding a part-time job on campus or off campus is of no major concern as the University's Student Union and other related departments provide full support to students. This reduces the expenses incurred by International students in a big way.

Once you are admitted to a UK University/College, you can earn about £4 - £5 per hour working a pert-time job. During term-time, you can work for 20 hours per week and during vacation time you can work as a full-time worker - 40 hours per week. So, this amounts to almost £5,500 in a year for people who opt to work. Quite a tidy sum of money considering it’s just part time work.

If these reasons satisfy you then get your bags packed and head for the UK to discover it and unravel its mysteries.

Not sure if the UK is for you? Don't just take our word for it, visit international student's UK blog. Here, Stephen (from Australia) tells us of his experiences whilst studying at Leeds University, in the UK.

Related posts:

1. Student Writing Advice: What You Need to do to Write Better
2. Dissertation – A Breakdown

Did you ever wonder why your lecturer/professor gives you assignments three months in advance? Its to give you time to pace out your research and writing, make a plan for the particular essay or report and then execute it. Successful writers always plan their schedule before starting to write; most writers do not believe in an outline before the actual writing, but an outline in the form of a list of points to cover, or in fact, a mental image of a finished paper.

Most student writers find it difficult to begin when they are writing for an assignment or a project, and for them, using an outline helps them immensely. Whatever form of outline you take, it will generally have its advantages. It helps you to keep track of what you intend to write and what you are actually writing. It helps you make sure that everything you wanted to write has been covered. Therefore, you can structure your writing material and be more open to changes you wish to make in your writing. When you have a plan at hand, you are aware of what will follow, and this will help you to write more clearly and logically.

If you think you can write an excellent paper at the first shot, then you're wrong. It is important, especially for student writers to make a rough draft first, and then begin their final written paper. What this does is, it helps writers to actually see their mistakes and finally correct it when the final writing is being done. It lets young writers experiment with language and structure, and gives them confidence to type away, knowing they can re-structure later.

It is also important to recognise and to follow what your professor requires from you when writing your assignment paper. Remember that although every topic question can be researched, developed and written to be formed and produced as a book, what really matters is that you clearly express your ideas concisely. Do not unnecessarily write more to impress your professor and try to show everyone that you know everything about the topic, because you are more likely to make mistakes that way. Stick to what the assignment question requires of you and you will see that it will begin to be appreciated by your professors.

Revise your paper at least twice and check for errors. Every sentence should speak for itself and it should direct readers towards what you want in the end. When you’re done with your first draft, your understanding of your subject will be much greater than it was when you started writing; use this knowledge to clarify and enrich your writing. You'll also need to proofread your paper thoroughly; this is where you will have to check your grammar and spelling errors as well as the construction of your sentences.

Take a look at a tip in the Supaproofread writing tips section and its 10 tips to proofreading your paper.

Related posts:

1. Write Like You Have Never Written Before…
2. The Writing Process
3. Stopping readers in their tracks! Advice for internet writing

1) Choose your topic carefully

Choosing a topic that genuinely interests you will be advantageous, as this will be what you will have to work with over the next couple of months. In considering a topic, you will have to keep in mind the degree of novelty – either involving personal research, novel experimentation, or its treatment, will become very important in making the work genuine.

2) Your advisor should not screw up

This means you have to work with an advisor who you can access and who will respond to your needs regarding your work. A good advisor is the key to a good dissertation and you should be firm enough to kick him in his/her butt if he/she is not cooperative enough.

3) Research well

Make an effort to find out the latest information regarding your topic. Let the project be a way to educate yourself and use as many sources as you can find. Be the investigative journalist and question everything around you. Read into books, newspapers, local magazines and every scrap of information that you can find.

4) Do not waste time

It is essential that you don’t dwell on the time that you have and you should work on your dissertation every day. This helps you keep track of the time and the work you are doing and stops you from rushing towards the end, when the deadline is fast approaching.

5) Be yourself when you write

It is of the utmost importance that you should not try to pretend that you are someone else. Keep your writing simple and clear, rather than convoluted and incomprehensible. Provide your own personal opinions and analysis of issues whenever it is appropriate. If you are expressing an opinion then make it clear that it is your opinion and make sure you provide evidence to support your thoughts. This will give your work that edge you require to gain advantage over others.

6) Protect your work

Document every discussion that you have with your advisor or committee. Originality is the key and more often than not information gets leaked. So, you should keep copies of all the comments, reports and other information that you submit. Understand that this dissertation is your project, undertaken by you for a purpose, so do everything you can to protect it.

7) Don’t stress about it too much

A dissertation involves a lot of mental and physical stress, so you’ll have to divide the work carefully, so that you are not too stressed out. Let your family and friends know of what you are doing and ask them for help if you require it. Let them know when you feel too stressed and ask them not to put other pressures on you.

8). There is no such thing as a perfect dissertation

A dissertation can never be perfect. The writer works to their own capabilities on the topic and brings out the best that they can, working until the document is as good as it can be. And you should also consider dissertation editing for your project.

9) No dissertation can be entirely original

There is a myth that goes around that your topic needs to be entirely original, which is impossible, as there would be no research base. Successful dissertations deal with topics that are common, though the originality of the work is from the specific study that the writer conducts.

Supaproofread has a host of academic resources in their academic centre for undergraduates and post-graduates who study in the UK, USA, Australia and other parts of the world. Use the links above to see what they have on offer.

Related posts:

1. Student Writing Advice: What You Need to do to Write Better

1) As a writer you need to be very clear in your mind about what you want to write about. If the concept and purpose of your intended material is steady and clear in your mind, then conveying it becomes simpler.

2) The second most important aspect in writing, is lucidity of thought and expression. No one is going to have the patience to read your work if it’s something that doesn’t make a lot of sense. We cannot go on rambling now, can we? The stream of consciousness method ought to be left alone to the professionals in this field. For beginners, lucidity is the key. Let it be your mantra, have – lucidity – lucidity – you get the drift.

3) Checking out your facts and information when writing on any topic is a must, as you don’t want to look a little (well, a lot!) silly. The material could be read by thousands, so a blooper in any information would get spotted straight away and reported! Believe me, if you’re not going to sell yourself, attract positive attention and gain a prominent reputation as a writer, if you don’t watch those mistakes (did you spot that one?), then you should look for a different avenue.

4) Grammar, typos and punctuation marks better stay pristine. We’re not text messaging our friends, now, are we? It also pays to brush up your language when you’re writing. What may sound right when you’re talking to others, might not mean the same when you write it.

5) The primary focus and responsibility of a writer is to make the writing an original production; a stamp of your own mark and style. It is the ethical responsibility of any writer to be conscious of plagiarism and it is also interesting to note, that more often than not, a particular writer that we associate well with, will influence us in our own writing style. You will need to ‘break out of the mould’, and let your distinctive style emerge, don’t ‘copy’ your favourite author’s idea in the world; you have a fantastic world ahead of you in your writing career, with many ideas I hope.

6) As with any writer, every scrap of information that you come across will embody a bank of knowledge and inspiration, so it is important that there should be no substitute to reading by the ton. When we let our imagination flare, anything can prove to be an inspiring idea. You, as a writer, will also need to be open to travelling, meeting new people and engaging in stimulating conversation.

7) It’s a good idea to note down interesting ideas, scraps, dream images, lines of inspiring poems and conversations.

There is also no substitute for developing an interesting and varied vocabulary. Over-used words read ‘booooooring’ and limit your expression. A widespread and well-worked vocabulary pays in many ways.

9) The best way of making your words an interesting read is by editing them over and over again until you are entirely satisfied with your work. Spending as much time as you practically can revising your work is a good idea. With experience and practice, you will become more aware of your need to say “enough is enough” and stop.

10) You also have to know where to limit yourself when you are writing about something you are passionate about. Don’t become carried away when writing for a topic which captures your interests. Sticking to the form and bearing the image of a wider array of readers will often do the trick.

Related posts:

1. Writing Tips – Addition to Supaproofread.com
2. Blogging Tips that Work
3. The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of Great Article Writing